Parkvilla fare best in thrilling Gerry Browne Cup decider

Parkvilla 2 Trim Celtic 2 (Parkvilla win 5-4 on penalties)

There was no shortage of thrills and spills as Parkvilla were singing in the rain the MDL on Saturday following their penalty shootout victory over Trim Celtic in the u-13 Gerry Browne Cup final.

Twice Parkvilla fell behind in this fantastic final but they never panicked and on both occasions they managed to restore parity before Owen Geoghegan held his nerve in the penalty shootout to convert the decisive fifth kick.

Fionn Crotty was the unfortunate Trim Celtic player who missed his side's fifth spot kick and it was cruel luck on the youngster who had a fine game alongside the excellent Sean Hegarty in the Celtic midfield.

Defeat was cruel as neither side deserved to lose what was an excellent encounter played in awful conditions.

Parkvilla were a constant threat with Silverman Ogwu lively up front while captain Sean Clarke led by example in the engine room of the Navan side's midfield.

Trim drew first blood after 12 minutes when a spell of sustained pressure ended with Crotty lobbing goalkeeper Daniel St Leger from 25 yards.

Prior to that Hegarty saw a snap shot go just wide and in the 19th minute Celtic thought they had doubled their lead when Ronan Murray fired to an empty net after St Leger had raced from his goals to tackle the lively Max Chambers.

However, just as Murray struck the ball the referee blew his whistle and called play back for the 'keeper's foul on Chambers - much to the disgruntlement of the Celtic management.

The subsequent free-kick amounted to nothing and spurred on by that let off Parkvilla went close with Jack McCarthy's header cleared off the line by Charlie Kirwan.

Chambers went close again for Trim on the stroke of half-time, but his effort was well saved by St Leger.

Parkvilla applied all the pressure in the early stages of the second-half as Patrick Gaughran, grandson of well known Navan business man Jack Kiernan, saved well from Clarke and from the corner Andy Smith headed just over.

The equaliser did arrive eight minutes after the restart when a mix-up in the Trim defence gifted Ogwu a chance and he made no mistake.

Trim settled and went close went Murray beat St Leger to the ball, but his shot from a difficult angle went wide.

With 14 minutes remaining Celtic retook the lead when a brilliant through ball found Crotty and he executed a superb lob to make it 2-1.

That lead lasted just five minutes as Parkvilla's pressure from corners saw Gustas Kiskis float in a perfect set piece and as the Celtic goalkeeper claimed he was impeded Sean Clarke got the last touch to divert to the net for 'Villa's second equaliser.

Parkvilla almost won it a couple of minutes later when Ogwu shot just wide, but with no more scoring in the hour it was on to two periods of 10 minutes extra-time.

Kiskis went close again with a stinging drive that hit the post, but that was the closest either side came to finding a winner before penalties were needed to separate them and it was Geoghegan who was the hero.

Parkvilla - Daniel St Leger; Sean Behan, Aaron Mullarkey, Jack McCarthy, Rian Carolan, Ben Cullen, Alan Nolan, Sean Clarke, Sean Hand, Silverman Ogwu, Andy Smith. Subs - Eddie Power for Carolan 19 mins, Alex Brady for Smith 45m, Gustas Kiskis for Hand 45m, Owen Geoghegan for Cullen 47m, Jacob Kowalewski for St Leger 78m.

Trim Celtic - Patrick Gaughran; Jamie McLaughlin, Keelin Sheerin, Charlie Kirwan, George Golds, Ratson Dube, Hugo Chambers, Sean Hegarty, Ronan Murray, Fionn Crotty, Max Chambers. Subs - Shane Govern for Kirwan 41 mins, Daniel Connelly for M Chambers 75m, Rian O'Driscoll for Golds 79m; Adam O'Donnell, Jake Cullen, Eoin Farrell, Matty Kurwaski.

Referee - Niall Byrne; assistants - Glen Gavagan, Lee Hertimage.